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Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
L.A. County jails are handing inmates over to ICE for the first time in years
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has resumed transferring jail inmates to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the first time in years, despite local sanctuary policies that aim to shield people from deportation. Eight inmates were released to ICE in May and a dozen more in June, according to sheriff's department records reviewed by The Times. Eleven are Mexican, six are Guatemalan, and one each is from Colombia, El Salvador and Honduras. Their ages ranged from 19 to 63 years old. The transfers to ICE are the first by the sheriff's department since early 2020, when records show 43 people were sent to federal immigration custody from sheriff's stations, jails and courts. That marked a steep decline from the 457 handed over in 2019, during President Trump's first term. The sheriff's department and legal experts say the recent transfers were lawful and conducted in accordance with sanctuary policies and ordinances approved in recent years by the state, L.A. County and cities including Los Angeles, Long Beach and West Hollywood. The Trump administration obtained federal judicial warrants for all but one of the inmates who were released in May and June, the sheriff's department records said. The lone exception was transferred to ICE because he was a '[p]erson extradited to United States to face criminal charges based on agreement between Department of Homeland Security (ICE) and LA County (District Attorney and Sheriff) to honor his immigration detainer,' according to the records. 'We have been monitoring sheriff messaging on ICE cooperation and it is our understanding that the recent transfers of prisoners to ICE are all in response to judicially issued warrants as required by federal and state law,' L.A. County Inspector General Max Huntsman said in a statement. 'Despite 'sanctuary' rhetoric, we are unaware of any conflict between California and federal law on this requirement.' But the transfers represent a new tactical approach that the Trump administration has quietly rolled out as masked federal agents have struck fear into L.A. County's immigrant communities by sweeping people away during hundreds of raids on businesses, homes and gathering spaces. In a statement, the sheriff's department said that 'state and county law/policy allow for cooperation in response to a judicial warrant,' which is a legal document signed by a judge that orders the department to hand individuals over to ICE. Sanctuary laws generally forbid local authorities from enforcing civil immigration laws, but there are exceptions for cases that involve criminal offenses. The recent transfers, the sheriff's department said, involved warrants for illegally reentering the country after having been previously deported, a federal crime that can carry a multiyear prison sentence. The sheriff's department said in a statement that it 'cannot say for a certainty that we had never received one before; however, we hadn't received any of these warrants in the past several years.' The sheriff's department provided The Times with the names of the eight inmates it transferred to ICE in May. One had been sentenced to six years in prison for felony voluntary manslaughter, according to L.A. County court records. Another pleaded not guilty to a domestic violence-related crime on May 21. A third was sentenced to 99 days in county jail for violating post-release supervision. It was not immediately clear what offenses the other five inmates had been accused of committing to land them in local lockups. The Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE, said last week that it had arrested more than 2,700 people 'in the L.A. area' since launching an aggressive crackdown in June. Those detainees are typically held in federal immigration detention facilities, not county jails.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Said ‘Alligator Alcatraz' Would Hold ‘Menacing Migrants.' Most Don't Have Criminal Convictions
When Donald Trump touted his new Florida immigrant detention facility, which he dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz,' he promised that it would hold 'some of the most vicious people on the planet.' Records obtained by The Miami Herald show the majority of detainees have no criminal convictions. 'It's known as Alligator Alcatraz, which is very appropriate because I looked outside and that's not a place I want to go hiking,' Trump said during a livestreamed event on July 1. 'But very soon, this facility will house some of the most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet.' Only one-third of the approximately 900 immigrants detained at the Florida facility have been convicted of a crime, the Herald reported. Those charges range from little as a traffic violation or illegal re-entry all the way to murder. Another 250 detainees only have immigration violations on their records but no criminal convictions or pending charges. A Syracuse University analysis of government data found that almost half of the people in ICE custody as of late last month did not have a criminal conviction or charge. Many are in the U.S. to seek asylum. Conditions at the detention center are inhumane, said Democratic lawmakers who visited the site on Saturday. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz called the facility, where immigrants are locked in cells made of chain link fencing with more than 30 other detainees, an 'internment camp.' Those cells are underneath tents, not permanent structures. 'They are essentially packed into cages, wall-to-wall humans, 32 detainees per cage,' Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said. She also criticized the quality and amount of food given to immigrants there, noting that while guards received roast chicken and sausage, detainees were given a 'gray turkey and cheese sandwich, an apple and chips.' 'I don't see how that could possibly sustain them nutritionally or not make them hungry,' Wasserman Schultz said. Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem defended the conditions in the Everglades detention center in an interview on Sunday. 'Our detention centers at the federal level are held to a higher standard than most local or state centers and even federal prisons. The standards are extremely high,' she said on NBC's Meet the Press. Noem even balked at calling the fenced-in areas where detainees are held 'cells.' 'I've been there and I've seen these rooms that they are in. I wouldn't call them 'jail cells,'' Noem said. 'I would call them a facility where they are held and that are secure facilities.' A Guatemalan woman whose husband is detained at the facility said that there are not enough facilities to maintain sanitary conditions. He reported there were not enough facilities to wash hands, and he was unable to take a shower for six days. He was eventually woken at 3 a.m. to take a shower because the lines were so long. 'The detainees are being held in tents, and it is very hot there. They're in bad conditions. … There's not enough food. Sick people are not getting medication. Every time I ask about his situation, he tells me it's bad,' she told CNN last week. In addition to poor conditions, the the detention center's location is highly vulnerable to flooding and hurricanes. The facility may not meet modern hurricane codes. It has already flooded once, the day after its grand opening. 'They are in a facility that is very inaccessible to lawyers, to family members, to oversight,' Renata Bozzetto, deputy director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, told The Washington Post. 'So the location being so remote and isolated is a problem. Being in an environmentally fragile ecosystem is a problem. Being constructed with temporary materials will be catastrophic in case of a hurricane.' Rep. Maxwell Frost, another Democrat who toured the facility, said he wanted to investigate reports of backed up toilets and 'feces being spread everywhere,' but officials refused to allow them to see units where migrants were being detained. Instead, they were shown empty barracks. 'It is something everyone, whether you're Democrat, Republican or anything, should be deeply ashamed of,' Frost said. 'Immigrants don't poison the blood of this nation. They are the blood of this nation.' More from Rolling Stone Jordan Klepper Charts Trump's Long History With Jeffrey Epstein on 'The Daily Show' Why the Trump Administration Is About to Set Fire to 500 Tons of Emergency Food Speaker Mike Johnson Splits From Trump, Calls for Release of Epstein Files Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Archaeologists Discover 5,500-Year-Old Pyramids in Poland
This year, archaeologists have discovered quite a few old relics. They have discovered 2,200-year-old pyramids in Egypt and also Mayan cities in a Guatemalan jungle. Now, they have discovered more pyramids, this time in Wyskoć, which is in west-central Poland. In a Facebook post, the pyramids were estimated to be 5,500 years old, and photos surfaced of the findings. The original post was written in Polish. "We've discovered "Polish pyramids" dating back 5,500 years! In the General Dezydery Chłapowski Landscape Park, our colleague Artur Golis discovered mysterious earth mounds during landscape analysis," the post read." Archaeological verification of two structures, including excavation of one of them, confirmed the discoverers' suspicions. These are long earth tombs built 5,500 years ago (!) by the Funnelbeaker culture (late Stone Age/Neolithic)." The post also showed several photos of the findings. The post came from the Team of Landscape Parks of the Greater Poland Voivodeship, and it is the second grouping of such pyramids to be discovered in Poland. The tombs are said to be 650 feet long and 13 feet high. Artur Golis, chief specialist for nature and landscape protection from the park, spoke about the findings. 'These artifacts could provide further insight into the spiritual and daily lives of the Funnelbeaker people," Golis said, per Popular Mechanics. 'Each generation built its own megalith, honoring the deceased who played a vital role in their community." All in all, it's quite the Discover 5,500-Year-Old Pyramids in Poland first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 16, 2025 Solve the daily Crossword
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Boston Globe
Lynn 12-year-old killed in car crash during visit to Guatemala
Esteban's grandmother, Silvia Lopez, was also killed in the accident, according to an As of Monday morning, it had raised nearly $7,000. According to Guatemalan media, Bradley's body is being brought back to Massachusetts for the funeral. The crash occurred in San Marcos, a town in southern Guatemala near the Mexican border, according to the fund-raiser, which was organized by Kelly Mendez-Aguilar. Advertisement 'Sadly, what was supposed to be a memorable and joyful trip turned into a devastating experience for the family,' the fund-raiser stated. Truman Dickerson can be reached at
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
‘Love Island USA' crowns Amaya and Bryan as winning couple of show's tumultuous seventh season
Espinal and Arenales formed a connection late in the season, bonding over their shared Latino culture. Espinal, a New York City native, is Dominican, and Arenales is of Puerto Rican and Guatemalan descent, according to his Instagram page. 'I often said how much I wanted to provide that safe place here for you, but little did I know that you would do that for me, too,' Arenales said during his final speech before the winners were announced. 'You said I was the water to your fire, but you are my peace to this madness.' Each contestant in the winning couple randomly picked from two envelopes, one which contained the $100,000 prize and the other nothing. Arenales got the full prize, and chose to split it evenly with Espinal. Advertisement This image released by Peacock shows Chris Seeley, left, and Huda Mustafa from the reality series "Love Island USA." Ben Symons/Associated Press Olandria Carthen and Nicolas Vansteenberghe were the runners-up, and Huda Mustafa and Chris Seeley — who went through an awkward and emotional breakup during the finale — came in third place. Iris Kendall and Jose 'Pepe' Garcia-Gonzalez placed fourth. The show's host, Ariana Madix, also announced that the entire cast of Season 7 will come together again for a New York reunion, which will be released on Peacock on Aug. 25, she said. Advertisement This image released by Peacock shows Iris Kendall, left, and Jose "Pepe" Garcia-Gonzalez from the reality series "Love Island USA." Ben Symons/Associated Press A season of shake-ups and scandal The show, an American spinoff to the UK series, has shaken up reality TV, becoming Peacock's most watched entertainment series on mobile devices, according to NBC Universal. It became a breakout success and captured mainstream attention last summer, and this season grew into a true cultural phenomenon. 'Love Island: Beyond the Villa,' a new series spinoff, premiered Sunday and follows Season 6's main cast as they navigate relationships, life and newfound social media fame in Los Angeles. This season also came under fire as two contestants — Cierra Ortega and Yulissa Escobar — left the villa following resurfaced posts in which they used racial slurs. Ortega, who was half of one of the season's strongest couples with Vansteenberghe, left the villa just a week before the popular reality show's finale after old posts resurfaced that contained a slur against Asian people. She apologized for the resurfaced posts in a nearly five minute TikTok video Wednesday. This image released by Peacock shows Michelle "Chelley" Bissainthe, Ace Greene from the reality series "Love Island USA." Ben Symons/Associated Press Friday's episode saw the elimination of Ace Greene and Chelley Bissainthe, setting the stage for the finale. Green and Bissainthe were the only couple to maintain a relationship throughout most of the show. A 'Dominican Cinderella' story The final four couples each went on dates during the last episode before the winners were crowned. Espinal and Arenales were given a photo book with pictures of each other throughout their lives, culminating with photos from their relationship during the show. The two bonded over family traditions. 'With you, I don't ever cry out of sadness. Every time I feel like a heightened emotion with you, it's always just like happy tears,' Espinal said. Advertisement The date ended with Espinal and Arenales taking a picture, a final memory from their time on 'Love Island USA.' The couple then made their relationship exclusive, noting they will only focus on each other when they leave the island. 'I feel like I'm a Dominican Cinderella when I'm with you, and I finally found my perfect glass slipper,' Espinal said during their date. This image released by Peacock shows promotional art for the reality series "Love Island USA." Uncredited/Associated Press How 'Love Island USA' works Stripped of their phones and connection with the outside world, five men and five women arrive in the villa and coupled up based on initial romantic interest. Throughout the season, the show introduces a steady stream of bombshells, new contestants who are brought in to disrupt existing relationships and build new storylines. Contestants are routinely dumped from the villa, removed either by a public vote or by the islanders themselves. Under constant surveillance, contestants partook in kissing competitions, heart rate challenges and drama-inducing games ripe for viral moments. Halfway through the season, established couples were temporarily separated for Casa Amor, the show's ultimate test, and encouraged to explore new relationships with a fresh group of single contestants. Amaya and Bryan, from late arrivals to America's sweethearts Espinal made waves when she walked in as a bombshell early in the season and has been credited for some of the season's most viral moments. 'I never said I was perfect. I never said I didn't have any flaws. But at least I'm pretty, and at least I'm a little funny, and at least I'm my own best friend,' Espinal sang to herself in the makeup room, which prompted various covers online and inspired a Google pop-up message when you search up her nickname, Amaya Papaya. The New York City native, who labeled herself a 'sensitive gangster,' tested various connections, including Greene, Austin Shepard and Zak Srakaew, that all fizzled out. Her previous partners on the show said Espinal, who is Dominican, expressed affection too quickly. Advertisement A connection sparked between Espinal and Casa Amor contestant Arenales late in the season after he defended her, saying that 'coming from a Hispanic household, calling someone babe, mi amor, mi vida, that's just how we talk.' 'Every time I talk to you, like, my energy is up. I'm walking out smiling. That's what I want in my life,' Arenales told Espinal during their final date. Espinal said Arenales lets her express her emotions freely, a difference from her previous connections, which she said 'made me feel misunderstood and as if the love I had to give to the world needed to be watered down, but every decision led me to find my personal prince charming.' Arenales ended his speech by calling Espinal, 'mi diabla, mi alma, y mi loquita,' which translates to 'my devil, my soul, and my madness.'
